Composite architectural wall panels have typically been manufactured in multi-step processes which often involve both sheet manufacturers and panel fabricators. Initially, a composite sheet is manufactured by laminating metal skins to a plastic or foam core. An example of such a composite sheet is the “ALUCOBOND” material produced by Alusuisse Group, Ltd., Zurich, Switzerland. Then, the sheets are typically shipped to a fabricator where they are cut to size and routed so as to return the edges around the perimeter. Extrusions are typically fabricated and applied to the panel perimeter to create panel joinery. Also, stiffeners are typically applied in the field to the major flattened portion of the panel to reduce bowing of the panel under a load. All of the above tends to represent a rather cumbersome and costly process.
Insulated composite architectural wall panels are typically manufactured on a continuous manufacturing line with a continuous metal liner. A series of separate metal facer elements are placed in a foam line and the panels are formed by bonding the facer sheets and the metal liner to a core material (e.g., foam). The panels are cut or separated at the ends of the facer sheets. The standard finished panel product has a single liner element and a single facer element (the liner and facer elements, or sheets, are typically referred to in the industry as “metal skins”). When needed, a series of facer sheets are combined over one liner sheet to make a larger and longer panel. The intermediate joints become false joints, as shown in FIG. 1. The separate facer elements are joined within a panel at the false joints, which give a larger panel the appearance of separate smaller panels.
In the erection phase, the panels are typically attached to a steel frame. The insulation costs of the panels is a function of their size in length and width. When short panels are required, the per unit installation costs of the panels is quite high. To mitigate this high cost, panels having false joints as described above have been used which include several facer element segments over one liner element in the completed panel to give the appearance of shorter panels. The several facer element segments were connected together to form the false joints, which gives the panel the appearance of several shorter panels. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of such a prior art panel, shown generally at 10, at the false joint 12.
As shown in FIG. 1, the panel 10 includes a continuous liner element 14 and separate facer elements 16 and 18 bonded to an insulating structural core 20. The separate facer elements 16 and 18 are bent inward at the false joint 12 and coupled together by a false joint receiver clip 22. A false joint gasket 24 is connected to the receiver clip 22 to provide the appearance of a panel joint at the false joint 12. As shown in FIG. 1, a sealant 26 may be provided on inside surfaces of the facer elements 16 and 18 at the false joint 12 at the connection with the receiver clip 22.
Forming larger panels having the separate facer elements forming the false joints became quite cumbersome and costly in the plant. Quality issues also arose due to panel length variations and the use of separate facer elements to form the false joints. The successfully completed units did, however, illustrate that there are advantages in field labor savings to be realized in using larger panels having false joints.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the above-identified problems.